Burial vault



April 11, 1933. v MILNES 1,903,747

,1 fig j/zerf 5%??? e5 ATTORN EY Patented Apr. 11, 1933 a air: stares BURIAL VAULT Application filed July 7, 1932.

This invention relates to burial vaults and has for an object an improved construction wherein a desirable closure is presented which may be efficiently and inexpensively sealed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burial vault having a removable cover, the structure being of concrete and associated with sealing means for efiectively sealing the cover to prevent moisture from passing into the vault.

A further object, more specifically, is to provide in a vault a sealing structure which includes a sealing liquid or semi-liquid, and means in a certain sense interlocking therewith to provide various abutments and con tacts acting to present a structurally good joint and a liquid or moisture proof joint.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a plan View of a burial vault disclosing an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view through Figure 1 on line 2-2.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the lid after it has been lowered fully into position.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1 indicates the body of the vault, and 2 the cover, said body and cover being made from a desirable quality of concrete which may be water proofed, if desired, and also, if desired, may be reinforced or left unreinforced.

In forming the body 1, the upper edge of the walls thereof are each provided with a groove 3 which is a depressed V-shaped structure merging into short horizontal sections 4 and 5 at each edge. The cover or lid 2 is provided with a depending portion 6 having an inclined wall 7 coacting with the inner surface 8 of the body 1 and with the sealing medium 9, hereinafter fully described.

The cover 2 between the wall 7 and the outer edge of the cover is provided with a depending bead 10 which is V-shaped, but the angle sides thereof are diiferent from the angle of the grooves 3, and also, the height of the bead 10 is less than the depth of the groove 3, so that this bead cannot touch the bottom of the groove. This insures a supply Serial No. 621,271.

of the sealing medium 9 at all times. The sealing medium may be asphalt, or other plastic or semi-liquid substance, which'produces a sealing action against moisture. A sufhcient quantity of tie asphalt or other sealing medium 9 is placed in the groove 3 and caused to overlap the shoulders a and 5, the

quantity illustrated in Figure 2 being approximately the correct quantity. The lid 2 is placed thereon, as shown in Figure 2, and when the full weight is allowed to act on the sealing medium 9, said medium will gradually shift and fiow until it assumes substantially the position shown in Figure 3. From this figure it will be seen that the portions 11 and 12 are much narrower than the similar portions in Figure 2 and that overflow portions or beads 13 and 1% are formed. The bead l l is of special importance in that it engages the inner surface 8 of the body 1 and also the wall 2?, thus making a seal at this point in addition to the seal throughout the groove 3.

Even if in the course of time the cover 2 should move farther down and should actually rest on the shoulders a and 5, the sealing between the groove 3 and the head 10 will remain, and also, the sealing action of the beads 13 and 14 will remain.

This joint makes an eficient seal against the entrance of moisture and also presents a good mechanical joint for holding the cover 2 in position. The sealing medium may be placed in position at any time but is usually placed in the groove sometime before the vault is placed in the ground or its final resting place so that when it is placed in the ground or its final resting place it is only necessary to apply the cover 2 and allow the same to settle down into its sealing position. When this sealing medium is made from asphalt or similar material it is poured into the groove hot and allowed to cool before instal ation. After it has cooled it is still suificiently yielding to flow under pressure, as, for instance, the pressure from the weight of the cover 2 so that when in final position it will present an efiicient seal.

I claim 1. A burial vault comprising a body having an upstanding wall, a groove in the upper surface of said wall, said groove extending longitudinally of the wall and merging into a shoulder on each of the inner and outer edges of the wall, a sealing medium capable of flowing under pressure positioned in said groove and substantially filling the groove and overlapping said shoulders with portions exteriorly of the shoulders forming beads, and a cover for said body provided with an offset at the outer edge whereby there i is an inner shoulder extending into said body near the upper edge and with a bead projecting centrally into said groove but falling short of the bottom thereof, said bead projecting into said sealing medium, said sealing medium by reason of the weight of the cover flowing to fit firmly all parts of the cover which engage the same also forming inner and outer sealing beads, said inner beads being in position to engage said depending wall.

2. A burial vault including a container having a wall with a longitudinal groove at the upper edge, a cover having a recessed portion on the lower surface near the edge, said recessed portion being adapted to fit against said wall with that part of the cover adjacent the inner part of the recessed portion forming a shoulder telescoping over said wall and extending into the container, said cover having a depending bead fitting into said groove, and a sealing medium arranged in said groove positioned to engage said bead, said sealing medium being formed with portions extending over the edges of said wall to present a sealing bead on each edge thereof, one of the sealing beads fitting against said shoulder to provide an inner seal.

ALBERT V. MILNES. 

